


Three Days of the Dragon

by mandykaysfic



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-30
Updated: 2014-01-30
Packaged: 2018-01-10 14:12:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1160632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mandykaysfic/pseuds/mandykaysfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the Chinese Year of the Rooster, so why does Harry have dragons on his underwear?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Three Days of the Dragon

**Day One**

Tom and Harry finished their lunchtime workout at the same time and hit the showers. Conversation was desultory as they washed the sweat away. 

Moving to don a clean uniform, Tom turned towards Harry and promptly forgot what he was going to say. Mr Follows-Every-Starfleet-Regulation-to-the-Letter Kim had forgone his standard Starfleet issue underwear and pulled on a pair of red silk boxers embroidered with a blue and gold dragon that curved over his right hip, tail pointing ass-wards and open-mouthed head placed right near the front buttons. Tom blinked.

In all the years of their friendship Tom had never found it necessary to comment on Harry’s underwear. It was regulation. Always. Even on dates. His own underwear was a different proposition. Different colors and materials, outrageous styles; Tom figured it didn’t matter, as long as he didn’t go around flashing it whilst on duty. Nobody was going to see Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck with the ‘Rabbit Season. Duck Season.’ caption from his favorite cartoon on his own blue satin boxers through his uniform. 

“Ready, Tom?” Harry had finished dressing while Tom contemplated the vagaries of underwear. He came back to the present in a rush.

“Almost Har,” he said as he finished doing up his uniform. He examined his hair in the mirror, and ran his hand through it. Yes, it would do. He put Harry’s boxers out of his head and accompanied his friend out of the gym.

Back on the Bridge, Tom settled down at the helm. It was a quiet region of space and his mind wandered back to Harry’s red silk boxers. It was the kind of thing that made one wonder if he’d fallen into a close alternate universe by mistake. Just a subtle difference from what was normal. Nah. There had been nothing to indicate that there had been a crossover. No energy fluctuations, no odd nebulas to be investigated, no transporter accidents; nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe it was just a daydream. 

As the shift finished, Commander Chakotay rose from his seat and came to stand behind Tom. He complimented him on his flying, smiled warmly and left the Bridge before Tom could respond. 

“Oh man, this is too weird,” muttered Tom to himself, hardly aware he’d spoken out loud until his replacement at the helm asked him what he’d meant.

“Nothing,” replied Tom vaguely, and went straight to his quarters. He checked the status of his account. Thankfully it was healthy enough for him to stay in and replicate something. Such unpredictability as Harry in non-regulation underwear and a complimentary Chakotay made him feel uneasy.

 

**Day Two**

Tom woke in a better frame of mind. He whistled tunelessly as he made his way to the Briefing Room. He wasn’t in any danger of running late today. As he entered and headed for his usual chair he was unprepared for Chakotay to look up from the padd he’d been examining and beam at him. There was no other word for it; it was definitely a beam. It lasted longer than a quick grin and was brighter than a soft smile. Tom gave him a puzzled look and a half smile in return, and settled in his chair. He brooded through the meeting, trying to keep one ear open so he could make appropriate responses when needed. 

“A word with you, Lieutenant Paris.” The commander stood next to Tom’s chair. Damn! He had missed the dismissal and remained seated just a little too long. The room was empty except for the two men.

“Yes, Commander?”

“Will you be going to Sandrine’s tonight?”

“I suppose so,” said Tom out loud, while the uneasy feeling from yesterday returned with a vengeance. Why does he want to know, he wondered.

“Good. I’ll see you there.” The commander smiled at Tom and left to take his seat on the Bridge. Tom followed at a distance and spent his time at the helm on autopilot. Every time he turned around he was the recipient of a smile from the commander, so he turned only a few times, mostly to make a comment to Harry. Thankfully, Harry seemed his usual self. Following lunch, the two of them were going to work out in the gym again. Tuvok had decreed fitness levels were not up to standard and thus the gym had become a lot busier of recent weeks. 

Tom and Harry secured a window seat in the Mess Hall. Every time someone new entered, Harry would look up to check out whom it was. Finally Tom called him on it. 

“You looking for anyone in particular, Harry?”

“Maybe.”

“You are. I know you are. Come on; spill the beans. Who is it?”

“Okay. It’s Ensign Brooks. Vanessa.”

“She’s the little red-head in Engineering, right? Kind of reminds one of a young Janeway.”

“That’s her.”

“Then would you rather stay here longer than go to the gym?” asked Tom hopefully.

“No. Have you forgotten Tuvok’s fitness reassessment is in three days? We need to go to the gym. We only have time for thirty minutes today and we need to leave now.”

“You’re right,” sighed Tom, and they left the Mess hall together.

Half an hour later they had worked out and showered and the memory of Harry’s opulent underwear pushed itself to the forefront of Tom’s consciousness. 

I’m not going to look. I’m not going to look. Tom’s new mantra vied for attention with the mental picture of the curving dragon on its red background. Tom couldn’t help himself. He looked. He closed his eyes, and then risked another quick peek. No sign of red silk, but no sign of Starfleet issue either. The dragon motif was back, this time gold and green, and situated on the front of a black pair of briefs. The briefs were, well, very brief, and the dragon was lying vertically with its claws outstretched and head, at the top of the briefs, turned to one side. The tail had once again disappeared ass-wards. Its expressive face had a protective look to it. Tom shook his head to clear it. Fortunately Harry had not seemed to notice anything amiss with Tom’s behavior and chattered happily about Vanessa Brooks. 

Back on the Bridge, the commander favored Tom with a sunny smile as he entered and took up his post at the helm. Tom couldn’t help smiling in return. There was something very infectious about Chakotay’s obviously happy mood. In fact, everyone on the Bridge seemed to be happy. Everyone on the Bridge was also apparently destined for Sandrine’s that evening going by the comments that were made as the shift ended and people headed for the turbolift.

Tom ate in the Mess Hall, surrounded by a large group of noisy friends. He had recovered his equilibrium as the afternoon had progressed and was eagerly contemplating several hours of pool and general socializing. He hadn’t even thought of Harry’s underwear for quite a while. He went back to his quarters to relax before changing and heading to the holodeck.

Remembering Chakotay had said he was looking forward to meeting up with Tom in Sandrine’s, Tom dressed with care. Not that he was out to impress the man, but he wanted to look good. He settled on a sunshine yellow shirt and dark jeans. 

The holopatrons still outnumbered the real ones when Tom arrived, but Harry and Vanessa entered only ten minutes later. Harry was resplendent in a turquoise shirt and black pants. Tom did a double take when he noticed the small black dragons embroidered on the points of the shirt collar. Vanessa looked lovely in a white top liberally strewn with black roses, with which she was wearing a tiny red skirt. Her hair was not up in its customary topknot; instead the sides were caught with a pair of black rose clips before flowing halfway down her back.

Tom had played several games of pool and was a comfortable amount of rations in front when the commander finally arrived. He slipped in quietly and made his way to the bar. He was content to watch Tom play for a while. When there was a suitable break in the proceedings, he waved Tom over and ordered him a drink. Chakotay started out discussing the current game taking place; Harry and Vanessa were playing B’Elanna and Chell. Harry was taking every opportunity to help Vanessa with her shots.

Conversation between the two men flowed easily, covering topics including their last shore leave, Neelix’s latest Mess Hall offerings, the forthcoming Talent Night and the newest modifications to the Delta Flyer. Chakotay pushed a small bowl of nibblies towards Tom and told him to help himself. Tom expected a savory offering and was surprised to bite into tart orange peels that had been crystallized and half dipped in dark chocolate. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the flavor sensation filling his mouth.

He opened his eyes to see Chakotay’s brown eyes studying him intently and a small smile playing around the well-cut lips. It seemed only natural to lick his own lips and then take up another piece of orange peel and slowly bite it in two. Tom fought the urge to offer the other half of the peel to Chakotay, and instead ran his tongue along the chocolate before closing his lips over the end and sucking it into his mouth.

“Tom!” Harry’s voice brought Tom speedily back to the here and now. We’re going to Observation Lounge 2 to play games for a while. Do you want to come?”

“Huh?” Tom blinked at Harry.

“The Delaney’s have organized an impromptu games party in the observation lounge. We’re going to play ‘Star Haven’, ‘Tribble Trap’, and Gravitt’s Revenge’ as well as some of the older games like ‘Fleet Challenge’ and ‘Twister’. It should be fun. You’re welcome too, Commander,” added Harry as he became aware of who Tom was sitting beside.

“Err, thanks Harry, but not this time. I…I…need to be going now. Thanks for the drink Chakotay,” said Tom as he swiveled off his stool and beat a hasty retreat from Sandrine’s. Harry looked at Chakotay, who shrugged and thanked him for the invitation, which he also declined. Chakotay finished his drink, and left as well, an enigmatic smile on his face. In his estimation, the evening had gone very well.

Tom had headed straight for his quarters and, leaving the lights dim, flung himself on his bed. He played over in his mind the scene with the orange peels. Had Chakotay been flirting with him? Had he been flirting back? He groaned as he realized the answer was yes. His mind puzzled over what was going on. All of a sudden his life had taken an unpredictable turn. He felt out of balance. The egregious capriciousness of life in the delta quadrant was nothing compared with this. And it all started with Harry’s underwear. That was it! Tomorrow in the gym Tom was going to check out Harry’s underwear and if they weren’t back to Starfleet issue Tom was going to find out the reason why. He ignored the little voice in his head that insisted Chakotay’s behavior had nothing to do with Harry’s choice of undergarments. 

 

**Day Three**

The bright voice of the computer woke Tom early in the morning. He was due at the gym before shift today, as he and Harry wanted to get in a longer workout than they were able to during their lunch break, and neither were able to go after their regular duty shift finished. Harry was giving B’Elanna a hand in Engineering and Tom was scheduled for an extra half-shift in Sickbay followed by an hour of flight sims on the holodeck.

Tom ferreted around in his wardrobe for something to wear. All of his usual gym attire was in a pile on the bathroom floor. He’d been too lazy to run anything through the fresher. A piece of red material protruded from under a blanket and he pulled on it, withdrawing a multicolored tee shirt. He smiled as he remembered how the shirt ended up in the state that it did. They had found some interesting plants several months ago that they had been unable to use for food, which had exuded some chemicals that could be used as dye. Neelix had been introduced to the art of tie dying and soon many of the crew found themselves recipients of a brightly colored tie-dyed shirt or pair of shorts. Tom was the proud owner of a particularly lurid offering in red, purple and orange. It would do fine to wear to the gym this morning.

Three quarters of an hour later Harry was in fits of laughter and wishing out loud he had a camera handy. Tom had forgotten the dye was not colorfast and now his arms sported long streaks of color where his sweat had caused the dye to run. His forehead was also adorned with a streak of color where he’d used the edge of the shirt to mop his face.

Tom stumped off to the showers, not angry with his friend, just embarrassed and very thankful that only half a dozen other people were present to witness his predicament, and none of them was the commander. Harry followed him, secretly glad of the chance to cut this workout a little short. Thankfully Tuvok’s fitness assessment would be completed soon and he and Tom could go back to their usual twice-weekly gym sessions.

The hot water calmed Tom down. Getting into his uniform, he was reminded of his mission concerning Harry’s underwear. Whew, Starfleet issue, but his relief was short-lived when his sharp sight picked up a row of grey-on-grey dragons circling Harry’s briefs, just below the elastic.

“That’s it! I can’t take anymore.”

“What’s up, Tom?”

“The dragons,” he moaned. “You’ve gotta tell me. What’s with the fucking dragons?”

“Dragons?”

“The ones on your underwear.”

“Oh. Those dragons.”

“Yes. Those dragons.”

“Well, I worked out that it’s the Chinese Year of the Rooster.”

“So? That doesn’t explain the dragons, and why they’re on your underwear. You don’t have roosters on your boxers.”

“You know that each year reflects the character of the beast it represents. Well, because roosters are by nature unpredictable, the coming year will be really volatile. We experience way too much volatility out here as it is, so I turned to feng shui to counteract the rooster’s energy. Dragons traditionally balance the erratic nature of the rooster. The best way to bring spiritual harmony is by having something that brings good luck in contact with your skin. Hence the dragons on my underwear.” Harry grinned at Tom and continued, “Haven’t you noticed how harmonious everything on the Bridge is these days?”

Tom nodded.

“That’s my doing too. I slipped a small dragon down the backs of all the seats, and taped one to the underside of each console. I couldn’t quite get the exact feng shui locations to perfectly channel the energy flows, but it seems to be working.”

“So Janeway and Chakotay are sitting on dragons?” Tom was inclined to be skeptical until he considered Chakotay’s behavior over the past few days.

“Yes. Isn’t it great?”

“It won’t be great if we’re late for the start of our shift. We’ll continue this later, Harry.”

At lunchtime Harry and Tom took two seats at an empty table. They had barely begun to pick through the day’s offering when B’Elanna joined them. She sat opposite Tom, and then seeing who entered the Mess Hall next, waved some others over. Greg Ayala grabbed the seat next to her, while Chakotay slid in next to Tom. Vanessa soon filled the empty seat on Harry’s other side. The two of them carried on a conversation in undertones during an argument that sprang up between B’Elanna and Greg. Tom caught the word ‘dragon’ and in a convenient lull asked if anyone else besides Harry knew it was the Chinese Year of the Rooster. When the various animal years had been explained to everyone, the talk segued into energy fields of a more esoteric nature as opposed to those that had to do with physics. Tom supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised when Chakotay described the change in those energy levels in the ship he’d noticed recently. He also wasn’t exactly surprised when halfway through Chakotay’s dissertation on ‘herd energy’ he felt a warm thigh press close to his. He didn’t even try to stop a smile curving his lips as he returned the pressure.

~

Several days later…

Tom and Chakotay exited the holodeck where they had spent a pleasant hour enjoying one of Chakotay’s programs. Chakotay had confessed to Tom that something inconsequential as the change in energies he’d felt had been enough to decide to take a chance and see if the two of them could make a go of things. They made their way back to Chakotay’s quarters. There they sat companionably on the sofa, though after a while the talk ceased and things turned into a serious necking session. They moved to the bedroom, undressing one another on the way. Nether found it necessary to comment out loud on the other’s choice of underwear; it was enough to smile at Chakotay’s dragons and Tom’s roosters. After all a little unpredictability was not always a bad thing.

END


End file.
